Elinor
Burkenstock never believed in fairy tales. Sure, she’s always been a fool for
love—what woman isn’t? But Elinor knows the difference between fiction and
truth. Daydreams and reality. True love and false promises. . . . Until the
unthinkable happens, and Elinor’s engagement is suddenly terminated and no one,
least of all her fiancé, will tell her why.

Sir Michael
Rollins’s war-hero days seem far behind him when, after one last hurrah before
his wedding, he gets shot and his injuries leave him in dire shape. He wants
nothing more than to marry Elinor, the woman of his wildest dreams. But
Elinor’s father forbids it . . . and soon Michael is faced with a desperate
choice: Spare Elinor a life with a broken man or risk everything to win her
heart—until death do they part?

A tear
escaped down her cheek. She dashed it away, and the anger replaced her sorrow.
“I don’t want your money, Michael.”

Hands
fisted at his side, he finally met her stare. “What is it then?” She approached
him and touched his arm.

He
flinched, but she refused to back away.

“I want to
know why? I need to know if you ever loved me. I demand to know if everything
you told me was a lie.” There, she’d said it. She dropped her hand away.

He was pale
and thin. Little of his robust figure shone through the robe. “I never lied to
you.”

“Then why?”

He turned
away again. “I would have thought your parents explained that to you already.”
She kicked at the rug, unsure of how to continue.

“Didn’t
your mother explain?” Anger rolled through his words like an army.

In all the
time they’d courted, she had never seen any signs of temper from Michael. He’d
always been kind and loving. Through her fear, her own anger pushed her on. She
stood toe-to- toe with a clearly dangerous man. “I was told that our engagement
was dissolved because you cannot father a child. I will admit it took my mother
quite a long time to get around to explaining that much, and I do not actually
think she knew any more. What I want to know is what that has to do with you
crying off?”

Then he
turned. “I did not cry off. You did.” “I
did no such thing.” She stomped her foot. “Then your father did.” His tone had
gone flat.

“He had no
right. If you did not end our engagement, then why were we not married today?”
She tried to sound sophisticated, but tears pushed to the surface. His attitude
was so changed. She didn’t know him. Maybe she never had.

“Your
mother explained that.” He lumbered across the room and poured himself a rather
large brandy. The smooth glide that she always admired was gone from his step.

“So if we
had married, then we found that I was barren, you would have tossed me over?”
She was rather proud of how rational she sounded in spite of her sorrow and
raging temper.

“Don’t be
ridiculous.” He swallowed half the glass brandy. His shoulders slumped. “Then
why would you think that I would care?”

A.S. Fenichel gave up a successful IT
career in New York City to follow her husband to Texas and pursue her lifelong
dream of being a professional writer. She's never looked back.

A.S. adores writing stories filled with love, passion, desire, magic and maybe
a little mayhem tossed in for good measure. Books have always been her perfect
escape and she still relishes diving into one and staying up all night to
finish a good story.

Originally from New York, she grew up in New Jersey, and now lives in the East
Texas with her real life hero, her wonderful husband. When not reading or
writing, she enjoys cooking, travel, history, and puttering in her garden.

Search This Blog

Shop 4 UR Books Instantly

Blog Archive

Stacy's Goodreads Reviews

Book Review- All I Ever Wanted by Katrina Mills
Kinsley had her future read one summer when she was thirteen. The gypsy informed her that one week before her thirty-fourth birthday she would die. She also told the heartbroken girl that ...

Book Review- Destroy You by K. D. Carrillo
Toni has been pressured by her parents to date Miguel throughout high school. Her parents have it planned that she will marry him. Toni tries hard to love him like she should but when she catch...

Book Review- What Happens Now by Jennifer Castle
Arianna is trying to heal from her incident. Her physical scars are healed but she is finding her way. So when she sees Camden that first summer and crushes but never speaks to him, she g...

Book Review- Chase the Dark by Annette Marie
In book one of the Steel and Stone series, Piper Griffiths is an apprentice consul and she is worried. She fails at stopping a fight between two daemons. She is also the only female haemon b...

Book Review- Eleven Things I Promised by Catherine Clark
Stella and Frances are best friends. Stella has planned for both of them to go to prom after they have returned from riding in the Cure Childhood Cancer Ride. Stella rode in it la...